Fire Agate

Item Description

A lovely example of this unique, distinctive and classic material. Fire Agate is one of the rarest forms of Agate, with a distinctive appearance that does not resemble any other Agate type. It has been available commercially only in the last 60 years. Fire Agate is a brown Agate which has a botryoidal or grape-like growth form. What is special about this material is that it contains layers of plate-like crystals of iron oxide (limonite) in various planes. The iridescent colors of red, gold, green and, occasionally, blue-violet, result from interference between diffracted light rays traveling through and reflecting from these thin layers. High quality Fire Agates can be as impressive in their play of color as fine Black Opal, but Fire Agate is significantly more durable than Opal. Fire Agate is suitable for any kind of jewelry, including rings. This "Freeform" Cabochon cut gem is a good example showing deep amber/red/brown hues on the exterior, and bright green and aqua flashes in the central portion when the stone is rotated in the light. I can see a TINY amount of the rare PURPLE hue as wll, which makes the stone more desirable than most you'll see because purple is the rarest hue to find in these stones. Good quality and size, and perfect for any collector who wants an impressive stone of this classic material.